Dyad
by Lovers of Today
Summary: dyad: something that consists of two elements or parts/ Rey and Ben Solo leave Exegol together. Can their relationship survive as the Galaxy tries to rebuild in the shadow of Kylo Ren's violent legacy? Will Rey be able to keep her friends and keep her promise to Ben? Alternative ending to The Rise of Skywalker.
1. Chapter 1: Second Chances

**Note: I have been torn up by the ending of TROS, and it compelled me to begin a story just to get my thoughts in a better headspace. Ben lives, and he and Rey begin to ponder what this means for their future. More chapters to come. **

A breath rose beneath Ben Solo's hand resting on the abdomen of the woman who meant everything to him. His eyes darted to Rey's face. She was no longer cold, empty, and lifeless. She was _here. _She was back.

"Ben!", she exclaimed. It was like he had been found after a lifetime of being lost, thrown a life jacket in the middle of a churning ocean.

Ben scanned Rey's face and looked into her eyes, thankfully once again filled with the fire of the last Jedi. He had asked the Force to do something seemingly impossible: bring her back to him. It had been a selfish request, really. Ben didn't deserve any favors from the Force, something he had used to bring grave imbalance to the Galaxy. Ben Solo, once the formidable and unpredictable Kylo Ren, didn't think he deserved forgiveness or happiness in life. He wasn't sure he even deserved a life after the atrocities of his past, and their palpable consequences in the present.

No. He was certain he didn't deserve any of it. And yet, here was Rey.

Rey grabbed Ben's face with both of her hands and kissed him. For a moment, he was frozen, startled by her desire and happiness. His surprise quickly melted into comfort, and he leaned in deeper. He took her face into his own hands and surrendered himself to the joy and passion of the embrace. The Force sang around them, and Ben was furthered thrilled by the thought that maybe his mom would know that he was okay, that someone in this Galaxy wanted to _kiss_ him. He remembered Leia's knowing smile and imagined her coyly winking at the pair somewhere within the Force.

Rey was so alive and so fierce, his equal in every way. The influence of greed and evil that had masked these emotions in Ben were gone now. All that was left was the true Ben Solo, the grief he felt for those he had hurt and those he had lost, and devotion for this warrior in his arms. The feeling-the _love-_ broke into a smile across his face. It was as if his expressions had too been masked by the years of torment and agony. The smile lingered as he looked at Rey.

Rey pulled back from Ben and opened her eyes, still a bit dizzy from their kiss. She was struck by Ben's smile and nearly burst into tears. Ben Solo had _dimples_! She touched the places in his face altered by the adorable divots in his grin. She silently thanked Leia, Han, and Luke. They knew how much this beautiful boy was worth saving. More importantly, she didn't need the Force to know that Ben Solo was finally free.

Ben opened his eyes to take in the person before him. The face staring back at him was far more earnest and forgiving than he could ever have hoped. He never imagined anyone being _relieved_ to see him ever again. He had given up this part of existence in a quest for command of the Galaxy, for the promise of supremacy. Even his former followers in the First Order were never happy to see him. They all hated one another, bonded through a shared desire to bring their own idea of order to all of the worlds. He had forgotten what it was like to be loved instead of feared.

Being wanted as a wounded, repentant Ben Solo and not despised as the fallen Kylo Ren in the eyes of this powerful, beautiful girl overwhelmed him. He began to weep.

"Ben? Ben. I have you. I've got you." Rey took his large frame in her arms, and let his face rest in her neck. She struggled to keep him upright, and decided there was no reason to exhaust herself further. She guided him to the ground of the destroyed Sith sanctum. He wrapped his arms around her waist and continued to cry. He cried for those he had hurt. He cried for his parents. He cried for his Uncle Luke and the blossoming Jedi order he had destroyed. He cried for Rey, and the sacrifices she would have to make if she intended to keep him in her life. He cried for the possibility of losing her.

She felt his body shake against her, and he burned hot like the Twin Suns. His sobbing was unrestrained, as if it marked the release of years of turmoil and grief. She knew their next phase, if they could even get out of the crypt, would be extremely difficult. Rey had no reason to believe that Ben wouldn't be immediately arrested, or executed, once the Resistance found out he had survived. But what could she do?

No one would understand, but she would make them see. She would make them accept.

"Rey?", Ben whispered into her shoulder, having finally found a bit of peace.

"Yes?", she smoothed his hair gently.

"How are we going to get out of here?" He tried to hide the strain and worry in his voice with a chuckle. Truthfully, he had never been so exhausted in his life. He became even more exhausted at the thought of what life would look like outside of the cave- would Rey give up her friends to keep him? Would she walk away? Could either of them, two equal parts of a dyad in the Force, ever walk truly leave the other behind?

"You rest for right now. I'll try to find some help". Ben expected her to rise and begin to search the rubble of the destroyed sanctuary for survivors of the collapse. Instead, he felt her in the Force. As she gripped him tight in her arms, she searched for a way out with the help of all of the Jedi before.

As she meditated, Ben's mind also wandered beyond the destruction around them. He couldn't help but go through the many undesirable, and extremely likely, scenarios that might befall them in the days ahead. Ben considered that he would most likely be taken as a prisoner, ripped away from Rey for what could be the last time. He also considered that his passionate companion would try to defend him, and imperil herself in the process. The truth was that there existed a world of possibilities for the Resistance, the remaining Sith, and First Order loyalists to exact their revenge. However, the only thing left to hurt him at this point was to lose Rey. The specifics of the ordeal didn't much matter.

The last thing he wanted was to ruin Rey's much deserved life of glory and happiness. Until very recently, she had struggled every day just to survive. With the Resistance, she became their last hope and lost her mentors along the way. She had been lonely and also tempted by the Dark side of the Force. Ben wanted Rey to have an uncomplicated life that she could grow into peacefully. He wanted her to be surrounded with friends and perhaps even a family of her own. He wanted her to take her second life and live it as she desired.

He also wanted her to want him. And the thing that he wanted the most seemed the least likely: living the rest of his life at Rey's side. But a path together would undoubtably be filled with obstacles, and the seeming impossibility of it made him feel empty and foolish. How could this hero take him back to her friends who lost loved ones at the hands of the First Order? Worse yet, how could she bring him in front of those who had lost loved ones to _his hands_?

Rey stirred beside him. "I've got it!", she said to him as she gently moved his body from hers. "Come on Ben, lets go home." She reached out for his hand to assist him off the ground. His heart buzzed as their palms met. They were going _home._

Ben confirmed to himself in that moment that he would follow Rey anywhere. He would follow her through deserts, and into cities. Across raging seas and past systems of planets and moons. He was following her right into the base of thousands of people who had no reason to show him mercy or understanding. But Rey was his only future, and it was time he faced it.


	2. Chapter 2: Passage

**I decided to skip over the great escape sequence because it didn't inspire me. I am very interested in the transition ahead for Ben and Rey as they try to translate their kind of otherwordly Force dyad bond into everyday relationships and the creation of a new democratic Galaxy. Moreover, I want this story to reflect the conflict I imagine Rey and Ben would face forging a life together. Trying to trust one another, trying to save Ben from the worst kinds of justice the Galaxy would throw at him, and fitting Ben into Rey's chosen family. XoXo**

"I don't think I'll fit in that X-Wing." Rey laughed out loud, caught off guard by her ability to find humor in such a strenuous situation. Above, she saw what seemed to be the last of Palpatine's forces falling to the mosaic of Resistance fighters from across the Galaxy. She was pretty certain the death of the Emperor would ensure a victory for her friends and decided her main focus was to get herself and Ben to safety.

"Yes, you're quite a bit taller than Master Luke." Due to sheer exhaustion, it hadn't immediately dawned on Ben that the craft was part of Luke Skywalker's legacy. Ben flinched a bit at the mention of his uncle, once his hero and mentor. He swallowed his feeling of revulsion remembering their final encounter. Though he hadn't struck Luke down himself, he was still ultimately responsible for his premature death.

Rey looked at him with apology in her eyes. It wasn't clear which parts of Ben weren't tainted by the crimes of Kylo Ren.

Ben adverted his eyes and focused on getting his very broken leg into the cramped cockpit of the ship. The fighter was only built for one person, and he and Rey would need to share the lone seat. He looked down at Rey sheepishly as he helped into the X-wing and situated her between his legs, hands and attention at the controls. She gingerly tried to avoid his obvious injuries, though they were both definitely in pretty bad shape. Neither of them had any strength left to attempt to Force heal, or even create a buffer for between their bodies.

Both Ben and Rey were acutely aware of how physical the ride back to the rebel base would be. After their kiss and embrace in the Sith lair, Ben didn't know what was next for their relationship. Maybe they would kiss again, or maybe Rey would pretend it never happened once rejoining her friends. To save himself the embarrassment of rejection, he kept his arms pinned to his side has she powered up the old spacecraft.

"Hold on. I'm throwing this into hyper speed before we get shot out of the sky." With that, the ship whirled into the atmosphere. Rey, unsecured and hardly sitting, lurched forward with the ship. Ben instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her from smashing her probably broken ribs into the controls. She let out a surprised gasp before settling back in her upright position.

"Careful.", he said with a cough as he released her, slightly embarrassed for already having broken his secret vow to keep as much distance as possible until his fate was decided.

"I've lost count of the number of times you've saved me today, Ben Solo.", she said playfully as she navigated to Ajan Kloss. Ben smiled at her ease with his desire to protect her, and she felt his rigid posture relax slightly.

"I think you're probably going to be saving me once we land this ship.", he said, trying to get ahead of whatever conversation she might have been rehearsing in her head.

"Ben." She paused. "I won't let them hurt you." She reached back and squeezed his hand, her touch feeling like a live wire.

Ben wanted to savor the feeling of her hand in his, a sensation that had allude him since their encounter in Supreme Leader Snoke's throne room. The moment was broken, however, by a transmission over the communication system in the X-Wing.

"Rey? Rey! Is that you? Are you there?", Poe Dammeron broadcasted through the cockpit.

"Poe! I'm here! Are you okay?", the relief in her voice tugged at the jealous instincts within Ben. Though Kylo Ren was dead, Ben Solo would need to work on rewiring his interactions with other people. His emotions were still so raw. Instead of focusing on his jealousy for the affection Rey felt for Poe and her other friends in the Resistance, he decided to focus on the love Rey was able to receive from other people, and the love she gave in return. "_I won't let them hurt you."_

"We're all finished here, Rey. When you see Finn, make sure to ask him about his extremely risky maneuver on the surface of a crumbling Star Destroyer! See you at base!"

"Finn's what?! He did what?!", Rey was momentarily distracted by the disregard Finn had been showing for his own life recently."Wait, Poe! Are you still there?", Rey cried into the transmitter, remembering the person seated behind her.

"Look, it's not my place to tattle on him. You'll need to ask him yours-"

"Poe, no. It's not about Finn. I need your help.", Rey's tone was urgent.

"Rey, what's wrong?", Poe replied, shaken by the seriousness in her voice.

"I have someone with me. I need you to help me… ease him into the base."

There was a moment of silence as Poe tried to understand what Rey was asking him. Poe was sure that "he" wasn't just any "he". He knew that for Rey to be asking what he thought she was asking, she would have to have a good reason. He owed Rey his loyalty, at least for now.

"Sure thing, Rey. Touch down just south of the base and I'll track your location." Poe heard Rey sigh on the other side of the call.

"Thank you, Poe. I'll see you soon."

Ben could feel the apprehension in Rey as she navigated to the one place she could now call home. The greed in his heart stoked by years leaning into the Dark wanted her all for himself. Briefly, he considered taking the reigns of the X-Wing, and flying them to the Outer Rim, keeping those who might want to split them up at bay. But as quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished in a whimper of shame. Ben remembered the relief he felt in Rey at the sound of Poe's voice. Kylo Ren would try to keep Rey away from her loved ones to benefit himself. Kylo Ren would try to isolate her to fill the void of his own loneliness. But Rey didn't want Kylo Ren's hand- she wanted Ben Solo. He could feel the side of him capable of love beginning to thaw, but it would take time to unlearn all the worst instincts he harbored for so many years.

He would learn to follow her lead, go where she wanted, and be who she needed.

They sat quietly as the ship descended into the atmosphere of Ajan Kloss's dense jungles.


	3. Chapter 3: Ultimatums

**This is the first chapter exploring the sacrifices Rey will have to make to protect Ben. I am also running on the assumption that Ben will never fully be accepted in the Galaxy, and what that means for their relationship. More to come as I can't leave these two alone. XOXO.**

The X-Wing rumbled to the jungle floor, leaves and vines bending away from the craft. Rey had landed far enough from the base to not attract attention, though the aircraft would have certainly showed up on the Resistance radars. Rey hoped it had gone unnoticed with the wave of foreign ships landing to celebrate their historic victory. Or, at the very least, those who were monitoring the skies recognized the X-Wing from Rey's earlier signal guiding the fleet to Exegol and didn't care enough to find her right this minute. She knew that Poe needed to get here immediately to avoid disaster. If her and Ben were discovered on their own, Rey would not command enough respect to de-escalate the situation.

"Poe?", Rey called out on the communication device.

"Hey Rey, I'm touching down now." As Rey listened to his transmission, she saw the trees near her shake as _General _Poe Dameron finished his descent onto Ajan Kloss.

Rey turned back to look at Ben. He looked very uncomfortable and weak. His skin was a grayish color, and he seemed to be struggling to keep his eyes open. However, when Rey looked at him, his gaze focused on her. He lightly rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Ben, how are you feeling?" She wrapped a hand around the side of his neck in a thinly veiled attempt to feel his pulse. She was relieved to find it steady, if not a bit faint.

"Awful. You're a terrible pilot." His mouth twitched into a slight smile, and once again Rey's heart felt full to the brim. In all the encounters she had had with the young man born as Ben Solo, it was only in the last few hours that she had seen any expression other than grief, anger, or rage on his face. It had a mischievous, taunting quality like Han. But when the smile reached his eyes, it was unmistakably Leia.

Breaking the spell, Poe's ship touched down a few yards from the pair's X-Wing. Ben breathed in deeply and winced, his ribs being fractured in many places from the impact of the Emperor's lighting attack. He tried to cover the pit in his stomach at the sight of Poe, but Rey could feel his terror. She gave him a reassuring smile, unsure herself of how any of this would go.

"I trust Poe. I'll be back soon." She lightly touched his face before engaging the hatch of the ship. She carefully stepped down and walked to Poe, still powering down his own X-wing.

"General Dameron!", she called, and the pilot smiled over his shoulder. He turned to embrace Rey, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close.

From across the jungle clearing, Ben tensed watching the friends and comrades embrace. For so long in his mind, Rey was his only _something. _As Kylo Ren, he wasn't sure what her place in his life was: friend, confidant, soulmate, foil, partner. Every other person in his life was a source of deep hatred or deep pain. Rey, on the other hand, was a reprieve for him, a kind of oasis in the daily agony. Even when they were dueling, he didn't hate her. He respected her, he admired her, he wanted her. Now free of the constant influence of the Dark side, the smoke around his feelings had cleared and her knew that she meant more than he could articulate. And it was disarming to witness how much she meant to other people as well. Ben again braced for the moment when she would have to walk away from him in order to keep all of these other people in her life. He would never blame her, and never resent her for it.

He watched as Poe and Rey discussed the highlights of the battle. Finn was mentioned multiple times, and Rey shook her head like a mom who was trying to mask her pride behind a facade of disappointment. He could also feel Rey's anxiety rising.

"Rey, I honestly thought we had lost you. Everyone will be so excited to see you alive and well.'

Rey steadied herself for the conversation ahead. "The thing is, you did lose me. I died in that Sith crypt, Poe. When I battled the Emperor, it took everything I had to defeat him. I wasn't strong enough to survive it."

Rey's hands rested on Poe's shoulders and he felt her, strong and sturdy, in front of him. It wasn't possible for her to have died in that cave _and_ be standing in front of him just hours later. Even if she had been deeply injured then resuscitated, she would have needed to be airlifted into the base. And, he hadn't heard of any medical distress calls from the surface of Exegol. Clearly, Rey would need to be checked out when they reached base. Her face was bloody, and she was standing slightly slumped forward as if to avoid some broken ribs. But on death's door? Not a shot.

"What are you talking about? You're right here! Unless this is some Luke Skywalker Jedi trickery, you're very alive." Poe flailed his hands around wildly to underscore how insane it sounded. She rolled her eyes at him, as if saying "_Poe, you idiot, you're missing the point."_

"I didn't say I was still dead. I was revived. I was brought back to life in the Sith lair."

Poe scratched at his beard in frustration, eyes narrowed. "So, what? The Sith brought you back to life? Whats going on, Rey?" He continued to scan her up and down, looking for signs of something being seriously wrong.

"No, not the Sith. The Sith was destroyed when the Emperor was destroyed. At least, I think so. I will explain everything to you, but you have to promise to not interrupt me."

"Look, you know I can't promise that. I'll try not to interrupt you." Poe paced as his mind skipped through the possibilities.

"I didn't fight the Emperor alone. Ben fought him with me. Ben saved me." Ray centered her gaze on Poe, locking eyes with her friend as his worst fears were realized.

"Ben? Ben Solo? You mean Kylo Ren?" He paused. "Did you bring him here?" Poe began to jerk his head about, scanning the forest briefly for signs of the tall, monstrous figure that had hunted his friends over the last year.

Rey grabbed his chin and held his face steady. She spoke to him with an assured, level tone. "Ben has turned towards the Light. Leia knew trying to reach him through the Force would kill her, but she did it. She gave her life to save Ben, just like Han and just like Luke. And Poe, it worked. I was prepared to turn myself over to the Dark side, to the Emperor, to save the Resistance. And then, before I went through with it, there was Ben. On Exegol! He fought with me, and the Emperor nearly killed him. And then I did die. After defeating the Emperor, I was floating deep beyond the stars and I knew I was gone." Rey became choked up with tears as she remembered realizing she would never see her loved ones again. "It was such a strange feeling, and I was scared. But then, I heard Ben! His voice in the Force, searching for me. And I ran- or, I guess just sort of searched for him quickly? I'm not sure if you can run in the Force. It's all very hard to explain. But, anyways, I followed his voice. I got closer, and closer, until suddenly I was looking at him. But he wasn't in the Force, he was in the Sith lair on Exegol and I was too. I realized then that he had used the Force to bring me back to life." Tears softly rolled down Rey's face. Poe looked on, stunned into silence.

She continued. "He and I are connected through the Force. The Emperor called us a "dyad". None of this is a coincidence, Poe. BB-8 finding me on Jakku, stealing the Millennium Falcon and flying with Han Solo, serving under Leia, training with Luke Skywalker. It was all leading me back to Ben." She instinctively glanced back at the X-wing, faintly making out his form beyond the reflection of the jungle on the glass of the cabin.

"Rey, if he is here with you, I can't bring him into this base right now. I won't do that to everyone who just fought, and those who _died,_ to bring down the First Order." His tone was resolved. Poe wore the title of General of the Resistance well.

"Where can we go?" Rey trembled at the idea of being separated from Ben.

"Ahhhh, Rey. You had to be in a dyad with Ben Solo? Out of all the people in the Galaxy? What are the odds…" He shifted around uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at Rey. Finally, an idea came to mind. "You said he's hurt?"

"Yes, we both could use some medical attention and a place to rest."

"Okay. Get back in the X-wing. Be on the lookout for other members of the Resistance who might recognize the two of you. I'll be right back." Poe ran to his ship and hopped in, quickly powering it up and whirling into the sky. Rey limped back to her own fighter, feeling the weight of the day more acutely as time wore on.

She opened the latch and Ben extended his hand, helping her climb up. This time, she sat on top of his lap. Both of them were too anxious and exhausted to let the situation embarrass them.

Ben pressed his forehead into Rey's hair. "Rey. Thank you." He had given her a second chance at life because he couldn't stand to lose her, or let the galaxy lose their only hope at a restored Jedi order. And here she was, putting that life on the line for him.

"You're not alone anymore, Ben Solo." Rey wanted so badly to close her eyes and lean into him, but she had to stay alert. Her eyes scanned the jungle ahead of them for any threats. She noticed the trees shaking slightly, and heard a familiar rumble.

The Millennium Falcon lowered into the clearing, taking out a few trees and scaring the native creatures already disturbed by the comings and goings of Resistance fighters. Ben sucked in a surprised gasp at the sight of his father's beloved freighter.

The door of the Falcon lowered, and out walked Poe, followed by two medical droids. He was also carrying a pair of cuffs. He motioned for Rey and Ben to exit the X-wing.

Rey tentatively stepped out of the fighter, but wouldn't budge from her position in front of the craft, vowing to herself to protect Ben at all costs. Hand rested on her lightsaber, she leveled her eyes on Poe.

"Rey, please don't cut me in half, okay? I think I have a plan that will keep us afloat for now." He waited for Rey to respond, or shift her posture, but she didn't. He continued. "The Falcon has enough food to last you a few months, and these two medical droids can use the systems on board to aid your recovery. There are a few personal quarters, so you can both have your own room. Staying on the Falcon will give you a chance to rest and heal almost in plain sight."

"Then why the cuffs? Is he under arrest?" Rey hated having such a terrible, stressful interaction with one of her best friends.

"You trust Kylo-I mean Ben Solo. I don't. I am just going to use these cuffs to transport him into his own quarters on the Falcon. Then, they're off. I promise." He extended his hand to shake Rey's in a sign of good faith.

Rey opened her mouth to protest, but then she heard the release of a hydraulics system behind her. Poe visibly braced. Rey whipped around to see Ben exiting the X-wing.

"General Dameron,", Ben said. "Thank you for your generous offer. Please, I would like to be escorted onto the ship." Poe was stunned into silence at the sight of Kylo Ren, in a sweater, battered and without his infamous red lightsaber. His mind could not connect the image of this young man with the the former Supreme Leader of the First Order. Ben extended his closed hands to Poe, offering his wrists for the cuffs. Poe stepped forward and fitted them on Ben. As they locked, Ben met Rey's eyes. She looked worried, but also surprised.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Poe said to Rey and he led Ben onto the Falcon.


	4. Chapter 4: Precipice

**Happy New Year! Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I am so glad to share this process of healing, creating, and re-imagining with you all. Still thinking about how far I want to build on Reylo's relationship in this setting. More to come XOXO**

Ben could sense that Poe was holding back from Rey. He suspected he and Poe would be having a conversation very soon, just the two of them. It couldn't be so simple as to just hide out on the Falcon indefinitely. He took the cuffs willingly as a show of good faith. What he didn't know was whether or not they were actually coming off.

Poe led him onto the Millennium Falcon, a freighter that seemed to vibrate with the memory of his father. Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the legendary ship- three pieces of a storied whole. Perhaps being held on the Falcon was part of his cosmic punishment for Kylo Ren's crimes. Not a second could go by without thinking of Han, not that many did anyway. He hoped that while on board the Falcon he could spend more time than not with Rey. Her presence distracted him from the inner turmoil and gave him something good to focus on, something good to live for.

Ben sighed and took in his surroundings. The interior of the ship looked pretty similar to the Millennium Falcon of his childhood. Of course, it had passed through many hands and each left a distinct mark on the freighter. Scuffs in the floor from the boots of smugglers, holes in the walls from stray blaster shots, some inexplicable streaks of dried slime in the corridors, stains on the seats from spilled drinks (courtesy of the eternally stocked onboard bar). There was one mark Ben was scanning the ship for, straining his head to see into the cockpit…

Poe broke his gaze by pulling him to the right, through a narrow walkway, and into the crew's quarters. One of the rooms had a small bed and a medical droid waiting to examine Ben's injuries. Ben ducked his head under the low door frame, sharply remembering how big these quarters had seemed to him as a child. Ben wondered what his younger self would have thought about his current predicament. What would young Ben Solo have to say about all of the harm Kylo Ren had caused? Would he have understood?

Poe motioned towards the bed, and Ben sat on the edge. His hands cuffed, elbows on his knees, he hunched into himself wanting more than anything to close his eyes and rest. Poe, however, lingered. "_Here we go."_, Ben thought quietly.

"So, I was really hoping to never see you again. Particularly after the exceptionally joyless experience I had on that Star Destroyer after you kidnapped me from Jakku. I'm proud to say that I'm a much better host than you are." Poe paced, never taking his eyes off of his former, and perhaps current, enemy.

Ben's head perked up, his eyes dragged slowly from the floor to the Poe's face. What did he sense in the pilot: Fear? Hesitation? Distrust? Ben smirked at the General, enjoying his theatrics that made him well known throughout the Galaxy (and despised within the First Order).

"We both had our orders, General. We were both fighting for leaders we believed in." Poe's eyes narrowed. Ben smirked again. Perhaps the solace Ben could take in this life was that he had felt so _right _wreaking havoc on behalf of the First Order and Supreme Leader Snoke. And after he no longer believed in Snoke, he believed in the power of Kylo Ren.

And Poe had so believed in Leia Organa. Poe would have died a million times over for Leia. This fact made Ben's chest tight. How could he mistrust a man his mother left in charge of the Resistance, the thing she had loved for so long? The Resistance and Leia Organa were one entity, woven together through history. If Leia had trusted Poe with this legacy, she knew something that Ben didn't. The pilot seemed hot headed and short sighted, but General Organa would never have left the fate of the rebels to a person who couldn't see it through.

"About that…you know I can't let you go, right?" Ben's head dropped once again, eyes into the floor. "Oh calm down, would you? I didn't sentence you to death or anything. This is an extremely fragile and unusual situation. We defeated the Emperor and the Final Order. That doesn't mean the war, which Kylo Ben cultivated, is over. I'm not sure what's lurking out there. And until I find out, there's no way I'm letting you jet away to your loyalists in hiding. You're going to stay here, where I can keep an eye on you." Poe's finger jabbed at Ben, and he couldn't help but find the whole thing to be ridiculous. Regardless, Ben understood Poe's point and let him finish before speaking.

"Poe. Can I call you Poe? I don't want to leave. Rey is here. You and your friends are the only family she has. Unless she decides to take off on you, I'll be wherever she is for as long as I can." Poe looked a bit startled by this admission, and Ben paused. "Of course, if you executed me you'd know exactly where I was forever. Are you going to execute me?" Ben didn't want to mince words. He would accept his punishment. His own hands had taken the lives of so many simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Execution would be a humane answer to the things Kylo Ren had done. Excited or not, all he wanted was to spend whatever moments he had left near Rey. Years, days, minutes, seconds. All of it.

"Look, I don't really know what to make of this "dyad" situation, which is exactly why I'm _not _ordering your execution. For right now, I am going to asses the remaining threats and deal with the First Order loyalists that put us in imminent danger." Poe leveled his gaze with Ben's. "I'm not going to tell anyone you're here at the moment. That will buy me time to get things under control without a Kylo Red circus. That means I need you to sit tight, stay here, and not make a sound. I promised Rey I would give you a chance, and I am."

Ben exhaled deeply, the weight of the day finally lifting from his large and tired frame. "Thank you, Poe. I'll be a model prisoner. Ben extended his cuffed hand to shake Poe's.

Poe looked down at Ben's hand, then back up at his eyes, noticing the long scar extending from brow to cheekbone. Cooly, he said: "If you escape and we find you, I'll kill you myself." With that, Poe remote released the cuffs and they clanged to the floor. He shut the door behind him on his way out. Ben rubbed at his wrists, and thought about Poe's threat. He could sense that he truly meant it and Ben respected his resolve. He would have to prove his loyalty to Rey to stay alive for the time being. What a sweet punishment that he would never deserve.

Ben began the process of trying to lay down, but was stopped by the medical droid.

"Do not move. Fully body assessment commencing. Time to completion: 23 minutes and 45 seconds." Ben groaned. So much for resting.

—

After Rey was treated by her medical droid and completed her mandatory 2 hour nap, she wandered the Millennium Falcon. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about those who had known this ship that were no longer here. How she longed for their guidance.

As she neared the cockpit, she thought she heard a strangled laugh coming from inside. It wasn't quite a weep, but it wasn't far off. She opened the door and saw Ben bunched on the ground, his thumb tracing a piece of metal next to the pilot's chair.

"Ben? What are you doing? Your droid will be furious if it finds you." Her own droid had stood watch for the entirety of Rey's nap, giving her the remaining time before she was allowed to rise whenever she slightly opened her eyes. A two hour nap took about four consecutive hours of laying in bed.

"He lacquered over it." Ben said, glancing at Rey over his shoulder with a sad smile. Rey bent over to look at the small patch of metal, her body protesting as she finally lowered herself to the ground beside him.

There, etched to the left of the seat Han had occupied for years, was a shallow carving in the covering plate of a control panel. "BEN" was scratched into the metal, the letters looking as though they were penned by a child. In all of her time on the ship, she had never noticed the small hieroglyph from a different time.

And ben was right. Someone had in fact applied a protective coating of resin over the little drawing to preserve it. Rey's heart splintered as she thought of a time when a young Ben had followed at his father's heels, wanting to symbolically join his dad on whatever thrilling adventure was ahead. Perhaps Han had hoped that by protecting this small piece of his son, he could keep him close forever.

"I didn't think he had noticed." Ben said. They sat on the floor of the Millennium Falcon for a short eternity. With one hand, Ben traced the work of his younger self. With the other, he grasped tightly to Rey.


End file.
